New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-07
AN EYPRESSMIN'S LITTLE GAME.
A STARTLING STORY OF HIGHwAYMEN.

THE srrPosrD VICTIM TURNS OUT TO BE THE
TuIFF-BOrND AND GAGGED BY A FRIEND.
remarkable story OF alleged highway robbery was
told to the Bergen street police In BROOKLYN early
yesterday morning by Eugene Ihufston, OF NO ooi DE
kalbayc who drives M express wagon for ii. C.
Percy OF A,tor place and Eishths this city He SAID
he had been a house IA President ST., near Ninth-aVe
HrooKlyn. to deliver IA package about midnight ana
after leaving there drove along the Plaa road which
skirts the Plaza Al the entrance Of Prospect Park
In lonely spot three stopped his horse and seized
aud bound him. They put paper gag IL ls mouth ana
robbed HIM Of about $50. according to his story and
tucn let him lying In the dirt Af'er long struggle he
managed to gct te gag out OF his mouth and to scream
for help At length man who proved TO he Robert
Finn OF No 81 Fifteenth st. went 10 his assistance and
D. leased him from hi, bonds
aurston was detained at the police station while his
story was investigated. His horse ami wagon were
found al the stable at No Isl Cermont ave. whittier
the horse had returned and packages were In the
wagon from which pieces Of paIcr had been torn
Tur,to, story was not convincing. and further III
quify 30 wa, iouni that man named Frank H. Burick
of Gates and Ecld avcs had been with him on satIr-
day He was for. When questioned lie denied
having seen Thurson on Saturday aud accounted for
hi. tim, in various ways. II learned that he hid
been ont Of work for time, but his wife said he
;.ve her 81 when he got home at i lio said a
man named Mcliahey loaned him the money. bat lie
could tell where McGahey lived or what he did; he
thought he stone cutter The two nen were
brought together and each told his story then they
began TO call each other liars.
About O'Clock last evening Thurston confessed that
he and Burlic1 concocted scheme of the highway
robbery and carried II ont. Buriick me him III the
morning and proposed the plan and they drank TO IFS
succc,s Then they agreed to meet at . y. M, when
Thurstou camc Hamilton Ferry on his Last trip
They drove around tosethcr delivering parcels some
times going IN with them and sometimes the Othe"
The of <3 had beet collected In the course of the
day The last parcel they left AZ Ninth a. aud Third.
ave- nd then 10 No '32 Presidential, but failed
to arouse any When they reached tue PlaIa roai
Burdck bonnd and gagged Thurston and took about
$50 the basn OF the morey left after spending all
they wanted qvor and tOhaccO in the course or the
The So free ana IhurstOn was Iett
thcro until asssi3ns" arrived.
The police found confirmation OF tho statement IN the
facts that BurtiCk was donthed As the man who dc-
yrGcl package a: one OF the houses where IhutStOh
hal % ~ tha ThurstOn under the ln1uercc OF
n,r and that Buidick Lad several packages or cigar
rttos ana tobacco with hinl A man living ahoit LOO
ward, Iom where IhurstOn said he WAS bodnd AMI
gagged who slept with his window 0lsD heard no noise
ur screams help The was mads from TIE paper
torn froL the parcels In the wagon.
Blrilck stuck to the statement that he knew morning
OF the affair but the police locked him up Thhrstoh
WAS discharged from his employment as an cypress
driver by Picrcy last winter after he hh reported hc
loss several packages in succession; bu Their Nae
made good by bis hondsman ana nc was rcihS'''e'
lie Is about thirty years old